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How to generate a Microsoft 365 extended message trace

  1. Exclaimer Knowledge Base
  2. Solutions
  3. Mail Flow
Payal Arya
  • Updated

Scenario

You are using Exclaimer, and you need to obtain a message trace (typically for a support query, or for troubleshooting mail flow issues within Microsoft 365).  

Resolution

A Message Trace can be used to trace emails through Exchange Online, based on defined criteria (for example, an email address, date range, delivery status, or message ID).

See our full guide for this solution

To generate a Microsoft 365 extended message trace, follow the steps below:

  1. Browse to https://admin.exchange.microsoft.com/#/messagetrace 

  2. Sign in to Microsoft 365 with your Admin account.

  3. Click Start a trace.



    The New message trace pane is displayed.

  4. In Senders, enter the senders email address to search for all emails from the specified sender. This is optional.

  5. In Recipients, enter the recipient's email address to search for all emails from the specified recipient. This is optional. 

  6. In Time range, slide or select the time range to search for all emails within that time.

  7. In the Detailed search options section, as required, go through the options.

    Example: Enter the Message ID 
    If you enter the Message ID (you can find this in the message header), it will be easier to locate a single message.

    Alternatively, you can add the sender or recipient and select the message direction inbound/outbound.

  8. In Report type, select Extended report.

    For example:


  9. Click Next.

  10. In Report title, enter the title for the report. Then, in the space provided, enter the email address where the notification message is to be sent when the trace is complete.
WARNING! Extended traces can sometimes take several hours to complete. You can check the progress from the Downloadable reports section on the Message Trace home page.